Flash translation layer apparatus

ABSTRACT

A flash translation layer apparatus is disclosed. The flash translation layer apparatus coupled to a flash memory and a reading and writing controller, respectively. The flash translation layer apparatus includes an instruction register, a logical address register, a data register, a first auxiliary controller, a microprocessor, an address converting unit, a second auxiliary controller, a flash address register and an adjustable translation layer unit. Furthermore, the adjustable translation layer unit regards the block as a unit for a coarse-grained address translation table and regards the pages as a unit for a fine-grained address translation table, respectively. Therefore, the present invention can provide capabilities of reducing the spaces and the times of a null data collection procedure and increasing the efficiency when a logical address corresponds to a physical address.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a flash translation layer apparatus, and more particularly to a flash translation layer apparatus which is applicable to reading and writing procedure of the data in a flash memory, and to an adjustable flash translation layer apparatus which has a capability of adjusting a coarse-grained address translation table and a fine-grained address translation table to be used in an address converting system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Nowadays, a flash memory is widely used in a computer motherboard or a consumptive electronic product, such as the flash memory of a thumb disk or a MP3 player. The conventional NAND (Not AND) type of flash memory is utilized in an embedded storage system. The flash memory is composed of a plurality of pages and the storage volume, e.g. 512 kilo-bytes (KB), of each page is invariant, wherein a block is composed of some continuous pages, e.g. 32 pages. However, one feature of the flash memory is that the same page in a block cannot be written unless the block corresponding to the same page is erased before performing writing procedure on the flash memory. Therefore, because of the feature mentioned above, it is difficult to control the flash memory for memory management.

The conventional method is employed in an address translation table by a maintenance manner so that the flash memory can be operated in an original file system, such as an original file system or file format, e.g. file allocation table (FAT16), FAT32, new technology file system (NTFS) or second extended file system (EXT2), etc. The method is that the logic addresses are mapped to the physical addresses of the flash memory, respectively, for simulating the flash memory as the memory having continuous addresses. Therefore, the flash memory can be regarded as a hard disk without modifying any original set. Accordingly, the method is called NTFL (NAND flash translation layer) manner.

Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 illustrates an architecture diagram of a conventional flash translation layer used in the flash memory. As shown in FIG. 1, the flash memory “X” is composed of a plurality of blocks. In addition, an addressing basic unit and a converting basic unit of the flash translation layer is based on block-level. The block-level includes two different addressing blocks, a primary block “X1” and a replacement block “X2” corresponding to the primary block “X1”. The primary block “X1” has eight pages from page “X10” to page “X17”; likewise the replacement block “X2” also has eight pages from page “X20” to page “X27”. In addition, the replacement block “X2” is used to store the data which are unable to be written into the primary block “X1”.

When the amount “n” of logic block address (LBA) is written into the flash memory, the flash translation layer calculates two values, including a virtual block address (VBA) value and a block offset (BO) value. The virtual block address (VBA) value can be represented by the following formula: n/b, wherein “n” is the amount of logic block addresses (LBA) and “b” is the amount of the pages in a block. The block offset (BO) value can be represented by the following formula: n % b, which is the remainder by dividing “n” by “b”. Due to the virtual block address (VBA), the conventional flash translation layer finds out the addresses of the primary block “X1” and the replacement block “X2” corresponding to a writing procedure.

The conventional flash translation layer writes the data into the page of the primary block “X1” according to the block offset value. However, if the page is written therein previously, the conventional flash translation layer writes the data into a free page of the replacement block “X2”. In addition, it assumes that the data are written into the first page “X20” to the last page “X27” of the replacement block “X2”. Further, if the page “X20” to page “X27” of the replacement block “X2” are written completely, the conventional flash translation layer writes the un-overdue data in the primary block “X1” and the replacement block “X2” to a new primary block “X1”. In addition, the conventional flash translation layer updates a coarse-grained table (CGT), as shown in FIG. 2, so that the coarse-grained table is mapped to the new primary block “X1”.

In an example of FIG. 1, the logic block address (LBA) value “1011” is written to explain the procedure of the conventional flash translation layer. Accordingly, the virtual block address is “126” which is obtained by dividing 1011 by 8, i.e. the following formula: 1101/8=126. The block offset (BO) value is “3”, which is obtained by subtracting 8 multiply 126 from 1011, i.e. the following formula: 1101−8*126=3. As shown in FIG. 1, the content of the virtual block address value “126” is represented by the indication (9, 23). That is, the writing address in the primary block “X1” is “9” and the writing address in the replacement block “X2” is “23”. Furthermore, the data is written into the page “X13” of the primary block “X1” according to the block offset value “3”. However, if the page “X13” is written previously, i.e. not available, the data are written into the first free page of the replacement block “X2”, as shown in the page X22 in FIG. 1. Therefore, the conventional flash translation layer completes the writing procedure of the data corresponding to the logic block address value “1011”.

Please refer to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 illustrates a null data collection procedure of a conventional flash translation layer used in a flash memory. It assumes that there are five different logic block addresses, i.e. “A”, B”, “C”, “D”, and “E”, and the data allocation corresponding to the logical block addresses is shown in FIG. 2. When the replacement block “X2” are written completely, it is required to perform the null data collection procedure. Accordingly, the null data collection procedure duplicates all the pages in the primary block address value, “PPBA=1” and the replacement block address value, “PPBA=2” of the primary block “X1” to a new primary block address value, “PPBA=3”, and then the primary block address value, “PPBA=1” and the replacement block address value, “PPBA=2” are erased. In addition, a writing procedure performed by the coarse-grained table (CGT) records the primary block address value, “PPBA=3” and the replacement block address “RPBA” is set as empty, the value of the replacement block address “RPBA” is “−1”. The operations of the null data collection procedure are illustrates by the arrow indications, as shown in FIG. 2. However, the drawback of the conventional flash translation layer is to restrict the amount of the replacement block “X2”. If the amount of the replacement block “X2” exceeds the limit, it is required to perform the null data collection procedure for reducing the amount of the replacement block “X2”. Therefore, the conventional flash translation layer repeatedly performs the null data collection procedure and occupies more and more memory.

When the volume of the flash memory is increasingly enlarged, the conventional flash translation layer needs to maintain the address translation table and employ the block-level manner for economizing the spaces of the random access memory. However, while performing the block-level manner, it is inefficient that the logic addresses are mapped to the physical addresses of the flash memory. Since the reading and writing the data procedure regards the page as the accessing unit, thus it takes a long time to search a page of one block in order to obtain the latest physical address of the page during the block-level procedure. Therefore, the efficiency of the reading and writing procedure of the data and operation speed of the flash memory are decreased disadvantageously.

In addition, a related art in TW Patent No. I253564, entitled

Method of Efficient Data Management with Flash Storage System

is disclosed, and more particularly to an addressing procedure for the reading and writing procedure of the data and the method for managing the good blocks and the bad blocks for the conventional flash memory. Furthermore, another related art in TW Patent No. 1249670, entitled

System and Method Capable of Sequentially Writing A Flash Memory

is disclosed, and more particularly to the virtual block which is capable of sequentially writing the data into the flash memory. However, it is inefficient that the logic addresses are mapped to the physical addresses of the flash memory in the above-mentioned prior arts. Further, the operation speed of the flash memory is decreased disadvantageously.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To solve the foregoing drawbacks in the prior art, it is an objective of the present invention is to provide an adjustable translation layer unit, which has a capability of adjusting a coarse-grained address translation table and a fine-grained address translation table, and a cache instruction-data register, which has a capability of increasing the efficiency for a logical address corresponding to a physical address, into a flash translation layer. Therefore, the flash translation layer can provide and adjust address converting data which associated with a physical address and a logical address, respectively, for reducing the spaces and the occurrences of a null data collection procedure.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a flash translation layer for reducing the spaces and the times of a null data collection procedure.

Still an objective of the present invention is to provide a flash translation layer which has a capability of increasing the efficiency when a logical address corresponds to a physical address.

In accordance with the aspects of the present invention, the flash translation layer coupled to a flash memory and a reading and writing controller, wherein the flash translation layer comprises an instruction register, a logical address register, a data register, a first auxiliary controller, a second auxiliary controller, a microprocessor, an address converting unit, a flash address register, an adjustable translation layer unit and a cache instruction-data register.

The instruction register receives and stores a plurality of instructions associated with the reading and writing procedure of the data of the flash memory from the reading and writing controller. The logical address register receives and stores a logical address associated with the reading and writing procedure of the data of the flash memory from the reading and writing controller. The data register stores the data associated with the reading and writing procedure of the data of the flash memory generated from the reading and writing controller.

The first auxiliary controller controls an instruction to assist the reading and writing procedure of the data. The microprocessor controls the reading and writing procedure of the data and an address converting cache. The address converting unit stores the address converting information associated with a logical address and a physical address of the reading and writing data of the flash memory, and sends the address converting information to the microprocessor. The second auxiliary controller controls and stores the instructions, data and logical addresses of the reading and writing procedure of the data for the flash memory.

The flash address register stores the physical address associated with the reading and writing procedure of the data of the flash memory. The adjustable translation layer unit provides two address converting capabilities of a coarse-grained address translation table and a fine-grained address translation table, wherein the adjustable translation layer unit sends an address converting result of the flash memory and the instruction for caching the reading and writing data to the microprocessor via the second auxiliary controller. The cache instruction-data register caches the reading and writing procedure of the data of the flash memory.

Therefore, the adjustable translation layer unit can provide the converting data which associated with the physical address and the logical address to the flash memory for reducing the spaces and the occurrences of the null data collection. Furthermore, the adjustable translation layer unit sends the microprocessor the instructions and the data, which are sent form the flash translation layer. Therefore, the present invention can provide capabilities of reducing the spaces and the occurrences of a null data collection procedure and upgrading efficiency when a logical address corresponds to a physical address.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates an architecture diagram of a conventional flash translation layer used in the flash memory.

FIG. 2 shows a null data collection procedure of a conventional flash translation layer used in a flash memory.

FIG. 3 illustrates a system block diagram of a flash translation layer used in a flash memory according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a system block diagram of an adjustable translation layer unit which disposed in a flash translation layer of the flash memory according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a first procedure for activating an adjustable translation layer unit in the flash translation layer of the flash memory according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a second procedure for activating an adjustable translation layer unit in the flash translation layer of the flash memory according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows an example for activating the flash translation layer in the flash memory according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 illustrates a system block diagram of a flash translation layer apparatus 100 used in a flash memory 200 according to the present invention. The flash translation layer apparatus 100 couples the flash memory 200 to a reading and writing controller 300. In one embodiment, the reading and writing controller 300 is a flash memory card reader and/or a card reading interface utilized in a personal computer. The flash translation layer apparatus 100 includes an instruction register 10, a logical address register 20, a data register 30, a first auxiliary controller 40, a second auxiliary controller 50, a microprocessor 60, an address-converting unit 70, a flash address register 80, an adjustable translation layer unit 90 and a cache instruction-data register 95.

The instruction register 10 coupled to the reading and writing controller 300 receives and stores the instructions, which is associated with the reading and writing procedure of the data, from the reading and writing controller 300. The logical address register 20 coupled to the reading and writing controller 300 receives and stores logical addresses, which is associated with the reading and writing procedure of the data, from the reading and writing controller 300. The data register 30 coupled to the flash memory 200 and the reading and writing controller 300, respectively, stores the data, which is associated with the reading and writing procedure of the data, from the reading and writing controller 300. The first auxiliary controller 40 and the second auxiliary controller 50 provide a capability of controlling an instruction to assist the reading and writing procedure of the data. Further, the first auxiliary controller 40 is coupled to the logical address register 20 and the data register 30, respectively for controlling the logical address register 20 and the data register 30.

The microprocessor 60 coupled to the instruction register 10, the first auxiliary controller 40 and the second auxiliary controller 50, respectively, controls the reading and writing procedure of the data and serves as the control of an address-converting cache. The address conversion unit 70 coupled to the microprocessor 60 stores the address-converting information for the flash memory 200. The address-converting information associated with the logical address and the physical address is provided for the reading and writing procedure of the data in the flash memory 200, and sent to the microprocessor 60. In one embodiment, the address conversion unit 70 is random access memory (RAM) and/or different memory types. Furthermore, the flash address register 80 is coupled to the second auxiliary controller 50, the address conversion unit 70 and the flash memory 200, respectively, and stores the physical address which associated with the reading and writing procedure of the data of the flash memory.

Please refer to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 illustrates a system block diagram of the adjustable translation layer unit 90 which disposed in the flash translation layer apparatus 100 of the flash memory 200 according to the present invention. The adjustable translation layer unit 90 coupled to the second auxiliary controller 50 for providing two address converting capabilities of a coarse-grained address translation table and a fine-grained address translation table. The adjustable translation layer unit 90 sends the address-converting result of the flash memory 200 and transmits the instructions and data in the reading and writing data cache to the microprocessor 60 via the second auxiliary controller 50.

In one embodiment, the adjustable translation layer unit 90 includes a fine-grained address translation table 91, a coarse-grained address translation table 92, a null data collection unit 93 and a system initialization unit 94. Accordingly, the fine-grained address translation table 91 is coupled to the second auxiliary controller 50 and sends the address converting instructions to the microprocessor 60 via the second auxiliary controller 50. The fine-grained address translation table 91 has a page-level of the flash memory 200 to be the mapping unit of the address converting produce. Since the fine-grained address translation table 91 is operated on the basis of the page-level associate with the flash memory 200, the efficiency and space availability of the addressing converting procedure in the fine-grained address translation table 91 are increased. Furthermore, the fine-grained address translation table 91 advantageously has a capability of utilizing less space and collection times for collecting the null when performing the null data collection procedure.

The coarse-grained address translation table 92 has a block-level of the flash memory 200 to be the mapping unit of the address converting produce. Since the coarse-grained address translation table 92 is operated on the basis of the block-level, the used space of the flash memory 200 is less than that of the fine-grained address translation table 91.

Please refer to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 shows a first procedure for activating an adjustable translation layer unit 90 in the flash translation layer apparatus 100 of the flash memory 200 according to the present invention. The coarse-grained address translation table 92 finds out a logic block address (LBA) via a virtual block address for mapping to a physical block address of the flash memory 200. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the virtual block address is obtained by dividing the logic block address (LBA) by the page amounts “N” of the flash memory. Thus, the coarse-grained address translation table 92 finds out a primary block 921 and a replacement block 922, respectively, of the flash memory via the virtual block address. When a logic block address (LBA) is written, the virtual block address (VBA) and the block offset (BO), which corresponds to the logic block address, are computed. The block offset (BO) value can be represented by the following formula: (LBA) % N, which is the remainder by dividing “(LBA)” by “N”, wherein “(LBA)” is the amount of logic block addresses and “N” is the amount of the pages in a block. Therefore, the coarse-grained address translation table 92 finds out the page of the block offset (BO) within the primary block 921 via the virtual block address (VBA). If the page of the block offset (BO) within the primary block 921 is written previously, the data is written into a free page of the replacement block 922. If the free pages of the replacement block 922 are completely written and thus exhausted, the coarse-grained address translation table 92 writes the address and the data of the logic block address (LBA) corresponding to the address within the replacement block 922 to the fine-grained address translation table 91.

Due to the operation of the fine-grained address translation table 91 and the coarse-grained address translation table 92, the fine-grained address translation table 91 and the coarse-grained address translation table 92 are effectively utilized to improve the drawbacks of the conventional flash translation layer.

The null data collection unit 93 is coupled to the fine-grained address translation table 91 and collects the null data for the fine-grained address translation table 91. The system initialization unit 94 coupled to the second auxiliary controller 50 and acquires the initial status information of the microprocessor via the second auxiliary controller 50 for providing the adjustable translation layer unit 90 with an initial status. The cache instruction-data register 95 is coupled to the system initialization unit 94 and stores the data and the instructions for the reading and writing data cache of the flash memory 200. In one embodiment, the cache instruction-data register 95 is random access memory (RAM) and/or different memory types.

Please refer to FIG. 3, and FIG. 5, and FIG. 6. FIG. 6 illustrates a second procedure for activating the adjustable translation layer unit 90 in the flash translation layer apparatus 100 of the flash memory 200 to the present invention. For example, the information, which associated with the data (A, RPBA+5) and the data (B, RPBA+7) of the flash memory 200, are written into the fine-grained address translation table 91, respectively. A page “A”, a page “B”, a page “C”, a page “D” and a page “E” of the primary block 921 and the replacement block 922 are virtual block addresses (VBA). The page A and the page B modify an address value of the replacement block address, which originally stored in the coarse-grained address translation table 92, as the value “−1”. The replacement block 922 is replaced with the blocks which associated with in the fine-grained address translation table 91, and the converting address information stored in the blocks are recorded by the fine-grained address translation table 91. When the fine-grained address translation table 91 is used up, the fine-grained address translation table 91 sends the data, which are not accesses within a predetermined time, to the coarse-grained address translation table 92, as shown by arrows and dotted lines in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, respectively.

Please refer to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 illustrates an example for activating the flash translation layer apparatus 100 in the flash memory 200 to the present invention. For example, the capacity of the flash memory 200 is one gigabyte (GB) and each block 210 is composed of 32 pages 220, wherein each page 220 has the capacity of 1 kilo-byte (KB). Thus, the flash memory 200 totally has 32,768 blocks 210. As shown in FIG. 7, when the free pages of the replacement block address “RPBA=2” are exhausted, the data associated with the legal page of the replacement block 922 are recorded to the fine-grained address translation table 91, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. The data in the page (A, 2*32+30) and the page (B, 2*32+31) are recorded in the fine-grained address translation table 91, respectively. In addition, the data stored in the page (VBA, PPBA=1, RPBA=2) of the coarse-grained address translation table 92 is modified as the page (VBA, PPBA=1, RPBA=−1), wherein the value of the replacement block address becomes “−1”. Therefore, the replacement block address 922 “RPBA=2” is changed to be a block of the fine-grained address translation table 91. Accordingly, the data in the page A and page B, respectively, are stored in the blocks of the fine-grained address translation table 91 and the converting address information of the page A and page B are controlled by the fine-grained address translation table 91 unless the data in the page A and page B, respectively, are replaced by the coarse-grained address translation table 92. The above-mentioned example is shown by arrows in FIG. 7.

The advantages of the flash translation layer apparatus 100 according to the present invention shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 7 include:

1. When the free pages in the replacement block 922 are exhausted and before the flash translation layer apparatus 100 instantly performs collection procedure of the null data collection on the primary block 921 and the replacement block 922, the flash translation layer apparatus 100 writes the address converting information of the valid pages in the replacement block 922 into the fine-grained address translation table 91. Therefore, the flash translation layer apparatus 100 has a capability of decreasing the collection times of the blocks 210 of the flash memory 200 and reducing the occupied spaces of the null data collection procedure.

2. The primary block 921 has some free pages because the flash translation layer apparatus 100 writes the address converting information into the fine-grained address translation table 91 before the flash translation layer apparatus 100 instantly performs collection procedure of the null data collection on the primary block 921 and the replacement block 922. Therefore, the flash translation layer apparatus 100 has a capability of increasing the space availability of the flash memory 200.

3. Since the flash translation layer apparatus 100 writes the address converting information of the replacement block 922 into the fine-grained address translation table 91, the flash translation layer apparatus 100 is capable of rapidly finding out the address converting information corresponding to the valid block for increasing the efficiency of the addressing converting procedure in the fine-grained address translation table 91 while reading the valid pages.

4. When the flash translation layer apparatus 100 writes the address converting information of the replacement block 922 into the fine-grained address translation table 91, the efficiency of the addressing converting procedure is increased if the desired pages 220 of the flash memory 200 are located in the primary block 921. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, it is unnecessary to find out the desired pages from the replacement block 922 when the address of the replacement block address (RPBA) is the value “−1”.

As is understood by a person skilled in the art, the foregoing preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrative rather than limiting of the present invention. It is intended that they cover various modifications and similar arrangements be included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the scope of which should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structure. 

1. A flash translation layer apparatus coupled to a flash memory and a reading and writing controller, therebetween, wherein the flash memory has a primary block and a replacement block, the flash translation layer apparatus comprising: an instruction register coupled to the reading and writing controller, receiving and storing a plurality of instructions associated with a reading and writing procedure of the data of the flash memory from the reading and writing controller; a logical address register coupled to the reading and writing controller, receiving and storing a logical address associated with the reading and writing procedure of the data of the flash memory from the reading and writing controller; a data register coupled to the flash memory and the reading and writing controller, respectively, storing the data associated with the reading and writing procedure of the data of the flash memory generated from the reading and writing controller; a first auxiliary controller coupled to the logical address register and the data register, respectively, controlling an instruction to assist the reading and writing procedure of the data; a microprocessor coupled to the instruction register, the first auxiliary controller, respectively, controlling the reading and writing procedure of the data and an address converting cache; an address converting unit coupled to the microprocessor, storing address converting information associated with a logical address and a physical address of the reading and writing data of the flash memory, and sending the address converting information to the microprocessor; a second auxiliary controller coupled to the microprocessor, controlling and storing instructions, data and logical addresses of the reading and writing procedure of the data for the flash memory; a flash address register coupled to the second auxiliary controller, the address converting unit and the flash memory, respectively, storing the physical address associated with the reading and writing procedure of the data of the flash memory; an adjustable translation layer unit coupled to the second auxiliary controller, providing two address converting capabilities of a coarse-grained address translation table and a fine-grained address translation table, wherein the adjustable translation layer unit sends an address converting result of the flash memory and an instruction for caching the reading and writing data to the microprocessor via the second auxiliary controller; and a cache instruction-data register coupled to the adjustable translation layer unit, storing the data and the instruction for caching the reading and writing procedure of the data of the flash memory.
 2. The flash translation layer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the address conversing unit is random access memory.
 3. The flash translation layer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adjustable translation layer unit comprising: a fine-grained address translation table coupled to the second auxiliary controller, sending address converting instructions to the microprocessor via the second auxiliary controller; a coarse-grained address translation table coupled to the fine-grained address translation table for finding out the primary block and the replacement block while the data of the flash memory is written into the logical block address, and calculates a block offset and a virtual block address which corresponded to the logical address; a null data collection unit coupled to the fine-grained address translation table, utilizing the fine-grained address translation table when performing a null data collection procedure; and a system initialization unit coupled to the second auxiliary controller, acquiring initial status information via the second auxiliary controller and setting an initial status for the adjustable translation layer unit.
 4. The flash translation layer apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the virtual block address for the coarse-grained address translation table is obtained by dividing the logic block address by the page amount of the flash memory.
 5. The flash translation layer apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the block offset for the coarse-grained address translation table is a remainder which obtained by dividing the logic block address by the page amount of the flash memory.
 6. The flash translation layer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cache instruction-data register is random access memory. 